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Objectifying Intuitive Response in Stylistic Analysis: A Study of Maya Angelou’s “Still I Rise”
No full textIntuitive response is an antagonistic phenomenon in the stylistic analysis of a literary work. This is given the fact that stylistics relies on tangible linguistic evidence to unfold the writer’s meaning or the communicative purposes of an author. This paper however, examined objectivity in Maya Angelou’s ‘Still I Rise’. The study employed the different linguistic levels of stylistic analysis as a framework. They are: Syntax, Semantics, Lexis, Graphology and phonology levels of analysis. It is believed that this work will serve as a division of labour between a stylistic analyst and a literary critic
Microbial-aided Phytoremediation of Heavy metals Contaminated Soil: a review
No full textAnthropogenic exercises as well as industrial enterprise and agricultural practices contribute considerably to the degradation and contamination of environment that considerably affects the soil. The normal physical and chemical know-how soil washing used for soil remediation render the land useless as a medium for plant growth, as they take away all biological activities. Others are labor-intensive and have high maintenance value phytoremediation, a cheaper and sustainable in situ remediation technique was so thought of. This data can enable proposing solutions to issues of contamination and eventually convalescent sites and soils. However, plants don't have the aptitude to degrade several soil waste matters particularly the organic pollutant. It's so imperative to require advantage of the degrading ability of soil microorganisms. This review so focuses on phytoremediation techniques improved by microbial colonies
Effects of cadmium and lead on the biodegradation of diesel-contaminated soil.
No full textIn this research, the soil samples were contaminated with 0.05% and 0.1% of cadmium and lead. Seventy pots containing 200 g of soil were polluted with 5% diesel (w/w) (10 g). The physicochemical parameters of the soil were determined. There was a decrease in the pH, and electrical conductivity but the nitrogen, phosphorous, organic carbon and organic matter increased during the 84 days of biodegradation. The bacteria isolated from diesel oil contaminated soil were
species of Bacillus and Pseudomonas. The GC-MS analysis revealed a significant decrease in the alkane and an increase in the ester constituents of the biodegraded oil samples after 84 days. Diesel oil co-contaminated soil supplemented with 0.1% of cadmium and lead had a percentage degradation of 89.5% and 80.54% respectively while compared to the un-supplemented samples (28.36%) after 84 days. This indicates that lead and cadmium as co-contaminant in diesel
contaminated soil improved the rate of biodegradation of diesel
Production of Biosurfactants Using Pseudomonas aeruginosa for Biodegradation of Herbicide.
No full textThis study was aimed at isolating Pseudomonas aeruginosa from the soil to produce biosurfactant for degradation of herbicide. The soil sample was collected from oil polluted site in mechanic workshop, Minna, Niger State, Nigeria and transferred to the microbiology laboratory of the University in a sterile polyethylene bag. Pseudomonas aeruginosa was isolated from the soil and identified using microbiological and biochemical assays. The isolate was screened for biosurfactant production using haemolytic assay, drop collapse, oil spreading and emulsification test. Biosurfactant production was carried out using mineral salt medium for ten days. The ability of the biosurfactant produced by P. aeruginosa in degrading herbicide was tested on five concentrations of herbicide (5%, 10%, 30%, 50%, 70%) and the results showed biodegradation percentages as 56.4%, 53.1%, 32.6%, 29.8% and 26.2% respectively revealing that degradation was higher at lower concentrations. This suggests that herbicide could be biodegraded especially at low concentrations using biosurfactant produced by Pseudomonas aeruginosa
Comparison of Dual Therapies for Lowering Blood Pressure in Black Africans
No full textBACKGROUND:The prevalence of hypertension among black African patients is high, and these patients usually need two or more medications for blood-pressure control. However, the most effective two-drug combination that is currently available for blood pressure control in these patients has not been established.
METHODS: In this randomized, single-blind, three-group trial conducted in six countries in sub-Saharan Africa, we randomly assigned 728 black patients with uncontrolled hypertension (≥140/90 mm Hg while the patient was not being treated or taking only one antihypertensive drug) to receive a daily regimen of 5 mg of amlodipine plus 12.5 mg of hydrochlorothiazide, 5 mg of amlodipine plus 4 mg of perindopril, or 4 mg of perindopril plus 12.5 mg of hydrochlorothiazide for 2 months. Doses were then doubled (10 and 25 mg, 10 and 8 mg, and 8 and 25 mg, respectively) for an additional 4 months. The primary end point was the change in the 24-hour ambulatory systolic blood pressure between baseline and 6 months.
RESULTS: The mean age of the patients was 51 years, and 63% were women. Among the 621 patients who underwent 24-hour blood-pressure monitoring at baseline and at
6 months, those receiving amlodipine plus hydrochlorothiazide and those receiving amlodipine plus perindopril had a lower 24-hour ambulatory systolic blood pressure than those receiving perindopril plus hydrochlorothiazide (between group difference in the change from baseline, −3.14 mm Hg; 95% confidence interval [CI], −5.90 to −0.38; P=0.03; and −3.00 mm Hg; 95% CI, −5.8 to −0.20; P=0.04, respectively). The difference between the group receiving amlodipine plus hydrochlorothiazide and the group receiving amlodipine plus perindopril was −0.14 mm Hg (95% CI, −2.90 to 2.61; P=0.92). Similar differential effects on office and ambulatory diastolic blood pressures, along with blood-pressure control and
response rates, were apparent among the three groups.
CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that in black patients in sub-Saharan Africa, amlodipine plus either hydrochlorothiazide or perindopril was more effective than perindopril
plus hydrochlorothiazide at lowering blood pressure at 6 months. (Funded by GlaxoSmithKline Africa Noncommunicable Disease Open Lab; CREOLE Clinical Trials.gov number, NCT02742467.
Phytochemical and Antibacterial Activities of Ocimum Gratissimum on Some Selected Drug Resistant Bacteria
No full textThe use of Ocimum gratissimum (scent leaf) as food and medicine could be attributed to its phytochemical and antimicrobial properties. This work is aimed at evaluating the phytochemicals and antibacterial activities of Ocimum gratissimum on some selected drug resistant bacteria. The antibacterial activities of the plant potent extracts were tested on the test isolates using Agar-well diffusion techniques. The Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) and Minimum Bactericidal Concentration (MBC) of the extracts were determined according to the macro broth dilution technique. Phytochemical analysis of fresh and dried leaf extracts revealed the presence of tannins, alkaloids, flavonoids saponin, and terpeniods. Results obtained revealed that the cold water extracts of the fresh leaves was most potent, inhibiting all isolates with diameter zones of inhibition ranging from 16 to 20 mm, followed by ethanol extract of the dry leaves with zone range of 15 to 18 mm and hot water fresh leaf 11 to 18 mm, but E. coli showed total resistance to the cold water dry leaf extract. The extracts inhibited the growth of the bacterial isolates in a concentration dependent manner with MICs ranging between 50.5–150 mg/ml, while MBC ranged from 12.5–100 mg/ml. The findings from this study seem to provide the in vitro evidence that might justify O. gratissimum as a good candidate medicinal plant for further investigations, and that the active principles of the plant may be more polar in nature.TETfun
Relationship between Patients Access to Health Information and Coping with Chronic Disease
No full textInformation Impact: Journal of Information and Knowledge Management, 9(3), 117-131. https://dx.doi.org/10.4314/iijikm.v9i3.9The research examined the association between patients’ demographics, access to health information on coping and self-efficacy in managing chronic illness. This is a correlation study.
The population for this study is seven hundred and eighty-four patients with chronic diseases in two Federal Government Teaching Hospitals in South-East, Nigeria. A Questionnaire and a Coping with Chronic Diseases Self-Efficacy Scale were instruments for data collection. Correlation analysis shows that access to coping information was positively and significantly correlated with self-efficacy in managing chronic diseases. Multiple Regression suggests that disease type was the only patient characteristics significantly associated with self-efficacy when patients have access to coping information. The study concludes that the significant associations indicate that health information can enable patients develop self-efficacy for coping with chronic diseases. Hospital administrators and all stakeholders involved in health care should create an enabling environment for information sharing and flow to patients with chronic diseases. Librarians should play some roles in creating access to health information for patients with chronic diseases through developing and promoting consumer health information resources
Hematological changes associated with experimental infection with Trypanosomosis in pigs
No full textAlexandria Journal of Veterinary Sciences (AJVS), 56 (1), 169-174. doi:10.5455/ajvs.242009A study was conducted to examine and compare the hematological changes associated with single or mixed infection of Trypanosoma brucei and Trypanosoma congolense in Landrace pigs. 20 gilts between 3-5 months and with an average weight of 18.26kg were divided into 4 groups (Group 1 - Trypanosoma brucei infected; Group 2 - Trypanosoma congolense infected; Group 3 mixed Trypanosoma brucei and Trypanosoma congolense infected; Group 4 - Uninfected control). Onset of parasitaemia was 8, 9 and 12 days post infection (pi) for groups 1, 2 and 3 respectively. During the course of infection, there was a statistically significant (P < 0.05) increase in body temperature between group 2 and 3 and group 4, and decrease in body weight between the infected groups and control. Significant decrease (P<0.05) were also observed in the mean values of Packed cell volume (PCV), Haemoglobin (Hb), Red blood cell (RBC) and White blood cell (WBC) counts in infected group while there was no aggravating effect in mixed infection in pigs. The decreased concentration in haematology was statistically significantly different (P < 0.05) between the infected and uninfected groups; and in the infected group, was more severe in group 2. Severity of clinical signs was more in single than mixed infections. It was concluded that the infection caused by Trypanosoma congolense is more severe than Trypanosoma brucei, and that there is no synergistic debilitating effect in mixed infection in pigs
Anaerobic digestion and agricultural application of organic wastes
No full textThe anaerobically digestion and agricultural application of organic wastes was conducted using food wastes and cow dung. Twenty kilograms each of the feed stocks was added into two 30 liters-capacity batch digesters. The anaerobic digestion was carried out within a temperature range of 25-31°C for a retention time of 51 days. The results showed a cumulative gas yield of 5.0 bars for food waste and no gas production for cow dung within the retention time. Bacteria such as Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Proteus vulgaris and Clostridium sp were isolated. Fungi isolated included Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus nidulan, Trichophyton rubrum and Epidermophyton flocossum. The nondispersive infrared (NDIR) analysis of the biogas produced confirmed that the gas consisted of CH4, CO2 and H2. Statistical analysis revealed there was no significant correlation between temperature and biogas produced from the organic wastes (r= 0.177, p = 0.483).The organic wastes from the biogas production process stimulated maize growth when compared to control (soil without organic waste) and indicated maximum height. The study therefore reveals that food waste as potential substrates for biogas production has a moderate bio-fertilizer potential for improving plant growth and yield when added to soil
Mycological Quality of Rastrineobola argentea (Silver Cyprinid Fish) Sold in Markets in Owerri Metropolis, Nigeria
No full textFungi isolated from sun dried Rastrineobola argentea are associated with deterioration of the fish and is of public health importance. These may be as a result of inadequate sun drying, handling and storage, thus, the mycological quality of R. argentea sold in markets in Owerri metropolis was studied. A total of five markets were studied from which fifty retailers were sampled randomly and systematically. A sample of 20 g of R. argentea was collected from each participant. Samples were cultured on Sabourand dextrose agar to enumerate and identify the fungal isolates using cultural and microscopic methods. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to determine the differences in the succession of fungi between and within markets at 5% level of significance. The results obtained showed that five fungal genera were isolated.These were; Aspergillus species 19 (44%), Candida species 11 (18%), Penicillium species 9 (28%), Rhizopus species 6 (18%) and Mucor species 5 (10%). The presence of mycotoxin producing species such as Aspergillus and Penicillium in the samples posses a real health risk through consumption or directly through contact with the fish products and therefore measures should be taken to improve their quality